Noelani Condominium Resort, Lahaina

After 22 years of staying in West Maui, my wife has stayed here for almost 35 years; the Noelani resort just got my last nickel. Back in the day, Noelani used to have a couple of real resort oriented managers. They were extremely kid friendly and just all around welcoming to all Noelani’s guests. I believe their names were John & Donna and they were amazing hosts. Folks would return year over just for their hospitality and weekly grand Mai-Tai parties. Okay, now on to 2011, they have “Bob” and his wife. Trust me these two are a piece of pretentious work. As resident live-in onsite managers, they treat all of the guests as if you are intruding on their personnel “space” – wow! It is fun to watch him guide his bride out of her parking spot every morning as he scowls at the rest of guests trying to get on with their obviously to Bob - docile days. Several guests literally sat around the one jet that worked on the broken down hot tub one night and discussed this clown’s behavior – so is not just me. Even the Canadians there did not like him and they love everyone! Why in the hell Noelani’s Owners’ Association puts up with this ostentatious management style at their expense is beyond me. If I owned one of these units and knew the resident manager was scaring guests away, well, at my business it would be a swift kick in the rear out the door. These condominiums are an investment for the owners’ and I would protect my investment at all cost. If you are 70- plus years old and are only awake between 8 AM and 5 PM, Bob and his wife welcome you to the Noelani! If you like a dated privately owned condo resort with two cold pools (not just one), a Jacuzzi on its last legs, a broken ice machine that will be fixed long after you are gone and a very, very, very short list of amenities … have I got a condo resort vacation location for you – Noelani of course! Really, this place has gone so far downhill that you will be jealous of families staying down the road in either direction as they jog or walk-by with smiles on their faces. C'est la vie … it is on to greener or “newer” Maui pastures for me!

We stayed here for our 10-yr anniversary. We stayed here because it is considerably cheaper than any of the major resorts or other condos we found on the internet. The rooms are right on the water!!! We stayed in unit 212 and it was great. Updated with modern decorations, not too "beachy" and in great shape. We ate breakfast every morning on the lanai (deck) staring at the ocean waves. Because we were here in March, we got to see the whales off in the distance as well. We haven't seen any condos or resorts where the water is any closer to your room. It is literally less than 100 feet away. We leave the sliding door open every night and fall asleep to the ocean waves. There is a heated pool, cold pool and spa. There are two bbq grills available on a first come, first serve basis. The staff can book excursions for you if you'd like. The grounds are very clean. It's a smaller complex, so it is very quiet at all hours. We rented a vehicle so we could drive 5 minutes south to Ka'anapali or 10 minutes to Lahaina. Both of those towns have huge resorts that are three times the price of Noelani. They have great beaches there and walking paths along the beach as well. The great thing about Noelani is that you get all the peace and quiet you want and you are within 5 minutes of all the great beaches and restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, another feature of Noelani is that you can cook up your own meals anytime. Food here in Maui is extrememly expensive. We went to the store and grabbed some eggs, juice, muffins, etc and made both breakfast and lunches. Then we would spend our money on nice dinners out. We are from Oregon and are in our early 30's. Only real negative we found, although not a big deal, is that they only give you new towels once every few days. We stayed here 7 nights and the maids only came one time to change sheets and twice for towels. There is a little coin-op laundry spot here on the grounds. It's $1 for the washer and $1 for the dryer. There are two washers and two driers on sight. They do not however, have little soaps or dryer sheets. You need to get those yourself. The on-site management office is open rather strange hours so make sure you plan ahead if you need them for anything. We highly recommend this condo to anyone looking for a place to stay in Western Maui.

We stayed in Studio Deluxe 218. Very comfortable and decorated nicely. The kitchen had everything needed to prepare meals. The condo and grounds were clean. The staff was accomodating. It is about a 40-unit complex. All units have a lanai right on the water. Two pools, spa and a BBQ are right on the ocean. It is within walking distance to groceries, shopping, restaurants, farmers' market, snorkeling/surfboard rentals. Few minutes drive to Kaanapali & Old Town Lahaina. Stretch of beach starts next door. The best part was the spectacular views of Molokai, surfers, turtles & the beautiful sunsets. One day we spotted two whales breaching in the distance. Another day we saw 10 turtles all together! Really awesome! We were told the turtles love that area because they like to eat the vegetation growing there. If you want a big complex with restaurants on the grounds, bars, lots of action and lots of people like the fancy hotels in Kaanapali, this is not the place for you. If you want a boutique-type complex to relax and soak up the sun, with beautiful views and at half the price, this is the place!

The rooms were very clean and well taken care of. The best part was the unbelievable view from the condo. Sea turtles made their way to the shore every afternoon around 4:00.

To have your first coffee in front of the pacific with an impressive view to Molokai'i, to see the turtles having their morning feed makes your heart smile for the whole day. And to know that you won't be at another place for sunset makes your day because it will bring peace to your mind and soothe your soul. Hale Aloha, Noelani, we will be back.

We just returned from our stay at the Noelani. It was such a good price for an oceanfront condo, that I had low expectations. The five of us walked in and said WOW! Even though it is a an older complex, it is immaculately maintained. Every night we sat out on our huge lanai to watch the beautiful sunsets. The pool and grounds were very well maintained as well. The staff was very helpful and pleasant.